Hygienic cuspidor.



WALTER. HYGIENIO GUSPIDOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.16,1912.

Patentd Apr. 22, 1913.

Joseph Walter witnesses JOSEPH WALTER, OF .ALAMEIDA, CALIFORNIA.

HYGIENIQ CUSPIDOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 18, 1912.

Patented Apr. 22, 1913, Serial No. 720,861.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH WALTER, a citizen of the .United States, residing at Alameda, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hygienic Cuspidors; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to spittoons, and more especially to those which are covered; and the object of the same is to enhance the hygienic qualities of a spittoon of this kind and to make it neat in appearance by protecting and hiding its contents at all times. These objects are carried out by constructing the device in the manner herein more fully described and claimed and as shown in the drawings wherein Figure l is a vertical section and Fig. 2 is a plan view of my device.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the body of this cuspidor which may have any suitable shape and may be of any suitable material, although by preference it has a flat bottom rather wider than the body at any other point, and it is open at its upper end. The top or cover 2 is dished or of funnel shape, and by preference this is made of metal with its edge turned over as at 3, so as to embrace the open mouth of the body 1. If it is secured thereto it becomes the top of the euspidor, but if it is removable therefrom it might more accurately be called the cover. I prefer to make it removable so that the interior of the body may be cleaned from time to time. Instead of forming the cover with a wide, flat wall whereon the expectoration, matches, ashes, and the like will accumulate and become unsightly, and whereon flies will gather when the surface becomes wet, and spread disease, I prefer to divide such wall by narrow slits as shown. Such slits 4 are annular and practically continuous so that the wall of the cover 2 is divided into a series of bands or zones connected with each other at intervals by posts as indicated at 5.

I do not wish to be limited to the precise shape and size of the slits, but I would prefer that they be annular rather than radial to the opening 10 at the bottom of the cover 2 and which might be called its mouth, be-

cause matches and other refuse thrown upon and slldlng down the conical cover will not fall into and clog the annular or circum ferential slits as they might do if the slits construction above described, is my preferred form of closure for said month. In Fig. 1 this is a flat plate or disk 11 having its diametrically opposite edges 12 turned downward and possibly thickened so as to give them additional weight, and across this plate at right angles to the line of said thickened edges is secured a wire or shaft 13 whose projecting extremities form trunnions which are journaled'in eyes 14 attached to or depending from the innermost ring or band of the cover 2. The weighted edges 12 will hold this plate normally horizontal, but when saliva, spittle, or sputa is dropped upon the cover and slips down the sameif it does not fall through the slits--it will eventually land upon the plate or disk 11 and will overbalance the same so as to tilt it as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the eXpectorat-ion is permitted to run oif into the body 1, after which the plate resumes its normally horizontal position.

Whatever the nature of the closure for the mouth of the cover 2, I consider it important that it shall be accurately and evenly balanced on its pivot in order that when saliva falls upon and adheres to one side of such closure, it will turn on its pivot so that the saliva is carried down onto the under side, from,which it drops into the body 1 out of sight of the user or any person in the room.

Cuspidors of this character will be ornamental and hygienic in the parlor and elsewhere throughout the house or public places and will be of great benefit in the sick room or hospital. I would make the slits so fine that flies cannot pass through them, and if they do not admit all the sputa to the in terior of the body, they can only cause it to run down the wall of the cover until it falls onto the closure above described. Also I would make the periphery of the closure fit within the mouth 10 of the cover so closely that flies could not pass through, the obvious intent being to keep the flies pearance, for the contents of the body are out of sight of the persons in the room.

\Vhen used by a dentist, for instance, a spittoon often accumulates much bloody matter which is offensive to the patient and to the friends who may be with the patient, but blood would easily run through the slits or around the closure above described, and would soon be out of sight. It is quite possible to use some means for flushing a spittoon of this character, but as the same forms no part of the present invent-ion, I have omitted it from this specification.

Obviously, the sizes, proportions and materials of parts are not essential. By having the cover removable the cleaning of such described spittoons is an easy matter.

What is claimed is The herein described spittoon comprising a body, a tunnelshaped cover pierced with a series of narrow upwardly opening slits disposed in rings around the cover and separated from each other by upright posts, and a movable closure for the mouth of said funnel.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH WALTER.

Witnesses:

W. T. Hnss, EMILIE WALTER,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

